Marine-engine governor.



0. 848,803. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

s. A. F ASER & J, M. NIOHOLS. MARINE ENGINE GOVERNOR.

APPLIOATIUN FILED MAB- 5, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFTGE.

SIMON A. FRASER AND JOHN M. NICHOLS, OF LORAIN, OHIO, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN J. KELLEY, OF LORAIN, OHIO.

MARINE-ENGINE GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed March 5, 1906. Serial No. 304,294.

1'0 all whom it may earl/corn:

Be it known that we, SIMON A. FRAsEn and JOHN M. NionoLs, citizens of the United 1 States, residing at Lorain, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Marine-Engine Governors, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention is a governor for marine engines designed to prevent the racing of the screw and engines in rough water incident to lift of the screw from the water.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism comprising a stanc pipe in the hull of a vessel near the stern, together with mechanism operated by a float in said pipe to control the throttle, the stan .l pipe being open at the lower end, so that the position of the float and consequently of the throttle, is controlled by the height of water in the stand-pipe.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail in cross-section.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 2 indicates a stand-pipe near the stern of the vessel, having at its lower end an inverted-T head or branches 1, which are open on opposite sides of the keel. This gives an equal balance 011 both sides of the boat, so that the pounding of a sea on one side does not affect the float. For example, a sea striking a tilted boat on one quarter, with little or no resistance of water on the other side, the water will pass through the pipe 1 without affecting the float. Also the water from the stand-pipe will flow out more freely from two ports than one. \Vithin the stand-pipe is a float 5, attached to a rod 7, which extends through a gland at the top of the stand-pipe. This rod is provided above the gland with an adjustable collar 8, which serves to regulate the cut-off of the steam at any depth of water desirable by stopping the downward movement or drop of the float. The rod is also provided with adjustable collars 9 and 10, which operate as tappets to control the steam inlet and exhaust valves 15 and 16, the stems of these valves being connected by levers 17 and a link 18, from which link an arm 19 projects into the path of the collars 9 and 10. The steam-inlet pipes to the valves 15 and 16 are indicated at 20, and the exhaust-pipes from said valves are indicated at 21. These I exhaust-pipes have valves 22, which control the rate of exhaust, and consequently the speed of the throttle-piston to be hereinafter referred to. A spring 14 is connected to an arm projecting from one of the levers 17 and to a convenient fixture and is so located that the valves are thrown full one way or the other, thereby preventing any partial open ing or closing of the exhaust. The spring acts in both drections when moved beyond center to complete the throw of the valves either way.

The gear for operating the throttle is of known construction, comprising a cylinder 24 having therein a piston, the rod 26 of which has a rack which meshes with a cog-wheel 25, carrying a lever 27, which is connected to the throttle of the engine in any suitable manner, unnecessary, it is thought, to be illustrated here. The cylinder 24 is connected at one end by a pipe 29 to the valve 16 and at the other end by a pipe 30 to the valve 15, and by operation of the valves steam is admitted to or exhausted from the respective ends of the cylinder, and the throttle is accordingly controlled, the valves being threeway valves of ordinary construction.

A special feature of this invention is the means for controlling the water-flow at the top of the stand-pipe. Said meansconsists of an airpipe 6, which extends within the vessel higher than any water-level and is connected to the top of the stand-pipe, as at 4, and also lower down, as at 3.

In the operation of the device the water flowing in or out of the bottom of the stand pipe varies the position of the float accordingly and acts to close the throttle when the screw is lifted out of the water in the manner apparent from the above description. When the water rushes into the stand-pipe, it lifts the float and flows up into the air-pipe. As it recedes it will tend to flow out mainly through the lower connection 3, the float being then above said connection. If the whole volume of water in the air-pipe were to flow through an upper connection, as at 4, it would tend to swamp or force down the float 5, and thus destroy its usefulness for the time being. By the position of the lower connection most of the water is able to get out below the float. This enables a short standpipe to be used.

The float is conveniently provided with guide-wheels 40 against the sides of the stand-pipe, and the cover on the top of the stand-pipe has a cushion 31 to receive any impact of the float due to sudden rise thereof.

We claim 1. In a marine-engine governor, the combination of a stand-pipe open at the bottom, an air-pipe having upper and lower connections thereto, a float in the stand-pipe, movable above and below the said lower connection, the upper connection being above the upper limit of movement of the float, and means actuated by the float to control the throttle.

2. In a marine-engine governor, the combination of a stand-pipe open to the water at the lower end, an air-pipe of greater height having one connection with the stand-pipe at its upper end and another connection With the same near its lower end, a float in the stand-pipe normally located above said lower connection, which connection is adapted to discharge Water from the air-pipe into the stand-pipe below the float when the water lowers therein, and means actuated by the float to control the throttle.

3. In a marine-engine governor, the combination with a stand-pipe having an opening through the hull at its lower end, a float therein, a rod extending above the top of the pipe and carrying adjustable tappets, a steam-cylinder having a piston therein and connections to control the throttle, pipes leading to the cylinder, and valves in said pipes controlling the inlet to and exhaust from the cylinder, said valves being connected together for simultaneous operation and having an operating-arm in position to be struck by the tappets.

4. In a marine-engine governor, in combination, a stand-pipe having therein a float and a rod connected to the float and extending above the tap of the pipe, tappets adjustable on the rod, means actuated by the contact of the tappets to control the throttle, and an adjustable stop on the rod, arranged to limit the drop of the float.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

sIMoN A. FRASER. JOHN M. NICHOLS. 

